On May 20, 2026, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov visited the newly opened NU Өnergy creative hub at Nazarbayev University, where he reviewed advanced scientific developments, startups, and high-tech projects in the fields of artificial intelligence, education, medicine, biotechnology, agriculture, sports technologies, and cultural heritage preservation.
During the visit, ISSAI Deputy Director of Product and External Affairs Amina Baikenova presented the latest developments by Institute of Smart Systems and Artificial Intelligence (ISSAI), including the Qolda-powered autonomous drone system developed in collaboration with iRise.kz.
The showcased Drone AI project with AVLM (Audio-Vision-Language model) control is based on ISSAI’s Qolda technology and is aimed at advancing intelligent monitoring and emergency response systems. The solution enables the system to recognize images, text, and audio in the Kazakh language without relying on cloud services or data centers. The project demonstrated practical applications of sovereign AI technologies for security, infrastructure monitoring, and industrial operations.
ISSAI also highlighted its work on compact multimodal AI models capable of operating locally on devices without dependence on foreign cloud infrastructure. The presentation reflected Kazakhstan’s broader efforts to strengthen national AI capabilities and develop locally built technological solutions.
During the tour of NU Өnergy, the Prime Minister also explored a number of innovative science-intensive projects, including the Artisan Education platform, which has already reached more than 200 schools across Kazakhstan and is expanding internationally; Mirai Tech’s biomechanical athlete analysis system based on smart insoles; the A-GEAR medical exoskeleton currently entering commercial supply; BunkSense, the CIS region’s first AI-powered livestock feeding monitoring system; and the National Program for Digital Documentation of Architectural Heritage using LiDAR and drone technologies.
The visit took place within the framework of a meeting of the Supreme Board of Trustees of Nazarbayev University, Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools, and the Nazarbayev Fund chaired by the Prime Minister. During the meeting, participants reviewed institutional development plans and discussed the draft NU Long-Term Development Strategy for 2026–2031 focused on strengthening research leadership, innovation, and commercialization of scientific developments.
NU Өnergy is the first interdisciplinary platform of its kind in Central Asia, combining science, technology, creative industries, and entrepreneurship within the academic and research ecosystem of Nazarbayev University.